Just as it Should Be
by LadyDrane
Summary: Draco attends Ron and Hermione's wedding, but it doesn't go as planned. One-Shot.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. This is the work of a fan.

 **A/N:** This is my very first ever fic. I apologize in advance for any formatting/grammar errors. Please review and let me know if I should stick to my day job. Inspired by Thomas Rhett's 'Marry ME'. I highly recommend watching the music video.

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Everything is happing as it should, Draco Malfoy thought bitterly.

Hermione Granger was going to marry another member of the Golden Trio and they would have ginger-haired babies and the whole Wizarding World would worship the ground they walked on. It was "perfect" and "adorable" and a "fairy-tail ending" according to the Daily Prophet. Gag.

Draco wasn't even quite sure what he was doing attending the "wedding of the decade." Sure, he was friendly to Potter now (he pretty much had to be after Saint-Potter had testified on his and his mother's behalf), but the same could not be said for the Weasel. And despite his _friendship_ (he grimaced internally at the word) with Hermione, he would rather hug Voldemort again than be here. However, Draco found himself striding up the lawn to what the Weasley's appallingly called their home. He placed a book on the table for gifts (one of many he could see), found a seat on the last row, and surveyed his surroundings.

There was a white trellis covered in pink and white magnolia flowers. The number of chairs set out was relatively few for such an important wedding, but he knew Granger would be stingy about who was invited for her parents' sake. The weather was beautiful, despite the morning Prophet claiming rain for the day. However, Draco saw a large tent set up to the side for the reception just in case.

Discreetly, he took a swig of Fire Whiskey from the flask he had placed in his black dress robes. He looked around at all the guests smiling and talking to each other and felt severely out of place. His mother had been right. He didn't belong here anymore than she belonged with his family. Unbidden, memories came rushing back to him as he waited for the ceremony to begin.

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The night that he had been re-introduced to Hermione was right after her break-up with Weasley at a Ministry party. She had been slightly tipsy, and very talkative. She confessed to Draco that the reason she broke up with 'Ronald' was that he wouldn't propose to her and she thought that meant he wasn't as invested or as interested in their relationship as she was.

Draco nodded, listened, and wondered when she had become beautiful. Probably after he decided his Father's ideals were bullshit and began thinking for himself.

Abruptly, Hermione stopped talking. "I don't want to waste anymore time talking about him. You talk about something Malfoy. Anything to distract me."

So, he did. He began telling her about his work and goals. He confided in her his frustrations with Ministry bureaucracy and red tape. The more he talked the more he enjoyed conversing with this girl who he had only insulted before. She was smart (obviously), but also intuitive and curious, asking questions and offering input. He had even managed to make her laugh at a story of his bumbling secretary. Even in her almost inebriated state she held a conversation well. Draco was impressed with her knowledge of his work and he found himself genuinely interested in hers. It was in a lull of their conversation that he found himself unconsciously leaning close to her as if to kiss her. He found that he really liked Hermione and wanted to find out if she (impossibly) felt the same. Before he could, he was interrupted by Potter asking Hermione if she was ready to go as he had promised to see her home safe.

Draco was almost glad he had not kissed Hermione, because the next morning he received and owl from her. She was not as drunk as she had seemed and remembered getting along with him really well. She suggested they meet for lunch at a café in Diagon Alley and continue their discussion from the previous night.

This became a tradition for them. Once a week they would meet in 'their café' and catch each other up on their lives. They talked about literature, politics, science, anything and everything.

This continued for several months and Draco Malfoy felt himself falling in love with Hermione Granger. He had met her family several times as her parents or friends joined in on the occasional lunch. His own mother had only joined them once, after Draco had begged her for a week straight. He found himself gathering some Gryffindor courage to finally act on his feelings, but it seemed the universe was not done punishing him for his crimes as a Death Eater. At one of their lunches he found himself plastering on a smile as Hermione gushed over Ron not just apologizing and begging for her to come back, but also proposing.

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He took back his earlier remark. He knew _exactly_ why he was here. He wanted to see Hermione in a white dress being walked down the aisle by her father and grinning madly. He also wanted to be the bloke standing at the end of the aisle. But Draco decided he would take what he could get. Most of all, he wanted Hermione to be happy, which meant Mr. Granger was not the only one giving her away.

Man was he such a love-sick puppy.

He took one more swig of Fire Whiskey and stood with the other guests as the music began playing.

She was a vision. Draco couldn't tell you what kind of dress she wore, or what her hair style was called, but she was absolutely stunning. Her father was already crying, and Draco nearly let a few of his own fall. As soon as she had made it to the trellis, Draco turned and walked away rather than sit as the other guests did.

He walked for a long time, well past the designated apparition point. But Draco couldn't stop thinking about how Hermione Granger was getting married. And not to him. He knew eventually he would have to be able to smile and be happy for her, but right now he just wanted to mope Finally, he noticed it was dark and without really meaning to, he apparated to their café. He sat down and ordered a hot chocolate (their usual drink). When it arrived, he poured the last of his Fire Whiskey into in and sipped.

As he sat there he felt someone approach. He looked up expecting to see the waitress and found himself looking into Hermione's red-rimmed eyes. A quick glance down showed no ring on her finger, and when he looked up she shook her head and sobbed. He stood up and she fell into his arms. When she looked up at him, he didn't hesitate as he leaned down to kiss her.

He finally found out that she would _definitely_ have kissed him back all those months ago.


End file.
